What is e-booking?
September 16, 2024
E-booking, online booking, online reservation... E-booking is known under different names, but do you actually know what it means and what it can bring to your business?
You're probably wondering: Do I need to offer e-booking to my customers? Is it suitable for my business?
E-booking is very simple to set up and has many benefits for companies that want to build an omnichannel strategy. In this article, we will explain what this term means, the advantages it offers and answer all the questions you might have about this autonomous system.
E-booking is defined as "the action of making a reservation or an appointment for a service via the internet". In other words, making an appointment online. It consists in offering your customers the possibility to make an appointment on your website to book one of your services. This system provides a certain autonomy to your customers and can help you do much more than just accept reservations and payments. More importantly, it allows you to set up a personalized experience for each customer.
E-booking can be presented in many ways and can be adapted to any type of business!
One of the biggest advantages of offering your customers an e-booking solution is the optimization of your operations. Indeed, by releasing you from certain administrative tasks such as having to answer the phone to take your appointments, or updating your customer database, you will save precious time!
Using this type of software also means that your customers can make appointments at any time of the day or night, even outside of your business hours. Such flexibility and autonomy are not to be overlooked. Your customers will be able to book one of your services online whenever it suits them, without having to pay attention to your business hours.
Finally, online appointment booking will allow you to stay organized at all times: no more notes lying around, no more paper agendas, no more double bookings...
E-booking is an excellent way to drive-to-store by offering in-store services upon reservation. Click & collect, click & fit, personalization service... The possibilities are numerous.
Moreover, without having to wait in line to enjoy one of your services, your customers will be much more motivated to visit your store. This visit will be an opportunity to give them a quality personalized experience and to maintain the relationship you have with them.
And thanks to the reminders sent with your e-booking software, your customers won't forget their appointment, or arrive late.
Nowadays, clients expect an experience at every step of the customer journey, right from the moment they make a reservation. Offering them the possibility to book an appointment online, accessible in a few clicks from anywhere at any time, will satisfy them from the first contact with your brand. No more websites that take forever to load, no more searching for a phone number on each page of the website to make an appointment, and no more waiting on the phone for hours...
E-booking allows an accelerated and automated booking process: appointment booking in only a few clicks, instant payment, confirmation received directly by email, reminders when the appointment is approaching...
As explained in our previous point (drive-to-store), and, with more details, in our article on the major retail trends of the year, what customers seek above all when they visit your store is to live an experience. They don't just come to make a purchase and leave.
In the era of online commerce, if they still make the effort to come to your store, you must return the favor! So, by planning their visit through e-booking, your staff will be able to take the time to prepare before the arrival of each customer and offer them the best personalized experience.
The first step to implement e-booking for your business is to choose the right software. Today, all the e-booking solutions available on the market have evolved significantly to help you do much more than just make appointments. It is therefore important to ask yourself the right questions and find the right software for your business. Many retailers around the world choose to use Booxi. Much more than an appointment scheduling software, Booxi makes managing online bookings as easy as possible for retailers. Simply integrate the Booking Widget into your website and you can start booking appointments the same day!
Once you have chosen the right software, it is essential to think about your experiential strategy before deploying your service offering. Indeed, it is not simply enough to place a booking button on your website to observe some results, it is essential to think about the smallest details in a strategic approach.
Now you know everything about e-booking! Regardless of the type of business, e-booking is a complete solution that can solve many issues. Whether for local stores or Enterprise, this polyvalent system has countless benefits for every company.
Would you like to know how e-booking can be implemented for your business? Contact our sales team now to get a free demo.
